My Brinda Berry Interview

Today I’m welcoming to the blogging studio a special
friend…Brinda Berry. Not only is Brinda
a published author who recently released her second book, Whisper of Memory,
but she and I also have a unique relationship.
You see, I used to work with Brinda’s husband several years ago and
therefore knew her in a cursory fashion.
But just last year we stumbled across one another at the Ozark Writers
Conference and discovered our shared passion.
I was so thrilled to finally have someone other than my wife to discuss
writing related topics with and who shared a burning desire to become
published. We hit it off immediately and
I’ve been milking her expertise ever since. :)

Whisper of Memory, the follow up to Brinda’s well-received
first novel The Waiting Booth, was released last Friday and she is now making
the promotional rounds. So of course I
grabbed hold of her and yanked her here today before anyone else could. I have a pretty good track record when it
comes to interviewing authors…the last one (Shelli Johannes) ended up being
nominated for GEORGIA AUTHOR OF THE YEAR.
I’m just saying. *wink*

So Brinda…are you comfortable? Coffee made like you asked?

Did you say I have a
chance at Author of the Year? Yes, the coffee is just the way I like it.

Great! Let’s get some
basics out of the way first…okay? How
tall are you?

Tall enough. If you
ask my weight, you are in big trouble. You saw me on the treadmill the other
day at the gym. I looked tall on it, didn’t I?

You bet! I’m just
limbering up my questioning muscles. Are
you allergic to anything?

Cats. *looking around*

Don't worry, you're safe. Okay, I
think I’m ready to dive into the good stuff.
How about you Brinda, are you ready?

Good stuff? You’re not
going to ask me about my sleeping habits, are you? I’m sleeping better now that
my book has been released.

Um...No...but I'm glad for you. So, in your book…Whisper of Memory…your MC
has a medical condition called synesthesia.
Tell us about it and how you came about using it as a character trait?

The name synesthesia
sounds like something awful, but it really isn’t. It’s where your sensory
perception overlaps. A person is born with this or can find himself experiencing
it after an accident. Grapheme is color synesthesia and is only one form. Fro
example, a person might see letters and numbers in certain colors. There are
over 60 types of synesthesia and 1 in 23 people may experience a degree of it. My main character, Mia, has multiple forms of
synesthesia. Her condition aids her in locating portals.

Some people assume that portal travel equates to time
travel, and that's not the concept in your book. The portals exist as doorways
between dimensions. Explain more about
that concept to us.

You should imagine our
world like an onion with layers. Each layer holds a dimension of life and
activity. The layers that are next to each other have very similar activity and
life forms. Pick at the layer (dimension) on the outside and near the core to
see great differences in these worlds. In my story, there is an entity who
believes they control travel between these dimensions. Portals are the access
point.

I understand you originally pitched it as sci-fi, but your publisher
chose to categorize as Young Adult Fantasy. How do you feel about that now?

I don’t have a problem
with how it’s categorized. At first, I worried that readers might look for
trolls or vampires in my novels. That doesn’t seem to be the case. It’s a good
thing since they won’t find them.

I’m drawn to books that revolve around an ensemble cast of
friends rather than a single character.
Whisper of a Memory fits that mold, right?

Definitely. Mia is
very independent, but she soon learns that she needs her friends.

Like many of my readers and other aspiring writers out
there, you have a full-time job that leaves little time for writing, much less
promoting. How do you make it work?

This is working? Just
kidding. It’s a juggling act. I’ve had to give up some things. I’m sure
everybody does. You can’t add writing to the mix and not replace some other
activity.

I know you’re busy, and the way you’re squirming in your
chair I’d say you need to visit the little girls room…so just one more
question. What one piece of advice would
you give my readers who are looking to become published that we haven’t touched
on yet?

If you love it, don’t
give up. It’s far easier to become discouraged than encouraged. Surround
yourself with writing peers and mentors.

Once again, thank you for being here!

My pleasure! Thanks,
DL.

That’s it kiddo’s.
Run out and pick up Whisper of a Memory this weekend! You won’t be disappointed.

Great interview, and I agree with Tiana - what a beautiful name, Brinda!

(Tiana, you have a great name too!)

The book sounds so interesting. I've heard of synesthesia but never knew the name for it. I would love to be able to see what I'm reading...in colors. At least, I think so. I'd have to give it more fault to see if it could have any downside. But to me, the idea of that disease is beautiful, no matter what form of it you have. I can't wait to read it!

I really enjoyed Brinda's first book in this series. It had great characters and the portals at the waiting booth were a fascinating concept. Plus she knows how to write hot men. I just can't wait to read about finding her brother.

I enjoyed this interview, DL, especially as Brinda was a guest on my blog last week. Having someone hop around on various blogs helps us all to meet more and more writers and people who just love the world of writing. Great questions and a light humorous tone have made for a short and snappy blog post. Good job, both of you!